Elara Alaric was between us before I even realized what was happening, his broad shoulders blocking out Grace’s furious form like a wall of stone. “That’s enough, Mother,” he said, his voice low and cold as ice. Grace immediately pulled her leg away, planting it firmly on the floor before it c
Elara That night, Alaric surprisingly came to bed before I fell asleep. I was already tucked under the covers, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting a warm circle of light across the room as I flipped through my book. He loosened his tie as he entered, barely looking at me. I glanced up furt
Elara The moment Alaric dropped the news about the Donovan luncheon, I knew I was in for a long day. Grace gave me a triumphant smirk before she turned and strode off, leaving us standing in the hallway. I sighed heavily and pulled the robe tighter around me as I turned back toward Alaric. “A lu
“Straighten your back,” Grace whispered the moment I sat down, low enough so only I could hear. “And don’t slouch like that, dear. You’ll embarrass yourself.” I pressed my lips together and obeyed, not wanting to start an argument before the meal even began. Zoe, sitting on Grace’s left, gave me a
Elara “Aren’t you going to wash my stained trousers, cleaner?” My eyes widened at Asher’s words. It wasn’t even the request itself that bothered me—I would have happily done it had he asked nicely and sincerely—it was the blatant condescension in this tone. I knew exactly what this was: an att
Elara Alaric stood in the garden with the late afternoon sun framing his figure, the small box in his hand held out between us. I blinked, unsure if I was imagining it. But when he extended it toward me without a word, and my heart stuttered in response, I knew it was real. Slowly, I reached for
Both girls practically squealed with delight, rushing forward to hug him around the waist. He stiffened at first, but then his hands came to rest gently on their backs, his expression softening ever so slightly. “Thank you, Daddy!” Zoe chirped before letting go and dragging Ella back toward the ga
Elara Alaric’s silent presence in the doorway should’ve startled me, but instead, I found myself blinking at him through the haze of wine. He said absolutely nothing, just stood there, his broad frame shadowing the doorway, his face unreadable. “Alaric?” I called out, furrowing my brow. “Are you
The school was bustling when we arrived, the parking lot teeming with parents and kids, all hurrying toward the bright red doors at the front of the building. Alex’s grip on my hand tightened as we approached, his eyes wide as he took in the sea of unfamiliar faces.“It’s okay,” I whispered, crouchi
ElaraThe house was alive with the all-too-familiar chaos of a school morning. Somewhere down the hall, Ella was shouting at Zoe about taking too long in the bathroom, and Zoe’s shrill rebuttal wasn’t far behind. The smell of toast lingered in the air, mingling with the faint bite of fall that crept
ElaraThe air that night was quiet—quieter than it had been in weeks. The house had settled into the kind of stillness that only came with exhaustion, the last embers in the fireplace flickering softly behind the glass. Even the wind outside had gone still, barely rustling the edges of the curtains
ElaraThe lanterns flickered softly against the night sky, their warm glow swaying in time with the breeze that danced through the courtyard. Even from this distance, I could still hear the faint music from the reception, the low murmur of conversation punctuated by bursts of laughter.But out here,
ElaraThe music was soft and sweet, drifting lazily over the twinkling lights strung across the open-air pavilion. Everything felt golden—the warm glow of lanterns, the hum of conversation over glasses of bubbly champagne, the faint crackle of the bonfire flickering in the distance.But none of it c
“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice cracking ever so slightly. “Thank you for giving me this.”I ran my fingers through his hair, gently pushing it back from his forehead. “You don’t have to thank me for anything, Alaric. This baby… it’s part of both of us.”His hands remained on my stomach as he li
ElaraThe house felt different as we stepped inside, the soft click of the door behind us sealing out the world beyond. It wasn’t just the warmth that greeted me, or the faint glow of the early morning sun filtering through the windows—it was something deeper. A stillness. A kind of quiet I hadn’t r
I wanted to tell her she was wrong—that this wasn’t some grand destiny I had been walking toward all my life. But I couldn’t. Not when I had felt it myself. That surge of power that wasn’t entirely my own. The way it had shattered the chains and driven Sarah back like she was nothing more than air.
ElaraThe sunlight hit harder than I expected, even though it had only been hours since I’d been trapped in that cavern. I squinted against the sudden golden rays of the morning sun, blinking rapidly as my eyes adjusted. But the others—the moonwolves—weren’t as fortunate.They stumbled as they emerg